The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Welcome to day 2 of our 30 days through the Book of Acts!
Today, let’s take a trip back to Genesis 11 before diving into Acts 2. There’s a deep connection that’s really worth exploring.
From Babel to Pentecost: The Ultimate Reversal
Acts 2 shows us God reversing a very old curse—one that happened centuries earlier at Babel.
“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.”
“As people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”
“Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.”
“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
“And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.”
“Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language… And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language…”
“So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth…”
“Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth.”
Back at Babel, when people decided to build their tower to heaven so they could make a name for themselves, God intervened by “confusing” their language. Suddenly, they couldn’t understand one another or work together, and no unity meant their collective plans couldn’t thrive.
Pentecost: Many Languages, One Spirit
Now, in Acts 2, we see something amazing. On the day of Pentecost:
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.”
“Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house…”
“Divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each of them.”
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
“…the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.”
God, through the Holy Spirit, reversed Babel’s confusion. Every individual baptized with the Spirit spoke a different language, yet each person understood in their own dialect. Imagine two people, one speaking English and another Spanish. As each speaks in their own language, the other hears it clearly in their mother tongue—no translation needed! That’s the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
In Genesis, everyone had one language but lost unity through confusion. At Pentecost, many languages became one Spirit—all for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ. Babel split the people, but Pentecost united hearts, regardless of language.
Peter’s Big Moment: Fulfilling Prophecy
Remember Peter? The disciple who denied Jesus after the crucifixion? In Acts 2, after the Spirit’s outpouring, Peter stood boldly and addressed the crowd’s skepticism.
“Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.”
“These people are not drunk, as you suppose…”
“This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel…”
[17-18] “…I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh… your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…”
Peter references Joel 2:28-32, reminding everyone they are living right in the middle of God’s fulfilled prophecy. No one is left out—young and old, men and women, Jew and Gentile—God’s Spirit is poured out on all flesh.
He goes on to deliver a moving testimony about Jesus and invites everyone to repent and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit:
“Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
“The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off…”
Peter lives out the mandate to go “to the ends of the earth,” inviting all who desire to receive the Holy Spirit and become part of God’s family.
Living in Divine Community
Acts 2 also describes the way early believers related to each other and to the Apostles:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
“Many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”
“All who believed were together and had all things in common.”
[45-47] “Day by day… attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God… And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Honestly, at first glance, living this communal way may seem a little “different” in our modern context. If a friend said “we share all our resources and eat together every day,” we might worry! But it’s only because the blueprint of perfect community can get corrupted by human error and selfishness.
Still, joy, togetherness, and generosity marked this early church. Maybe it looks different today, but the essentials remain: devote yourself to God’s work and look out for one another. Share what you can, praise God, and celebrate belonging—these are the real signs that we are His people.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank for the day of Pentecost,
And that to this day, we continue to experience the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives
Thank you for the unity in spirit, with the church
I pray, that your Holy Spirit continue to move mightily, as in the days of the Apostles.
In Jesus Name
Amen.
I would love to hear from you!
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